


Artemis

by VictoriaHolmesWriting



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-18 11:23:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21560383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VictoriaHolmesWriting/pseuds/VictoriaHolmesWriting
Summary: A powerful hero with a mysterious past is mortally wounded during battle protecting her comrades.  Her only hope for survival lies in the hands of the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Stephen Strange.
Relationships: Stephen Strange/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 42





	1. Sacrifice

“Hand on, kid!”

(Y/N) snapped her head around at the sound of Tony’s distressed shout. Fear gripped her as Tony caught an unconscious Peter Parker thirty feet from the ground. He’d been sent plummeting back down to earth after taking a blow to the head mid-swing.

The sky blazed above their heads -- red and orange blasts just barely missing them. Tony tried to fire back, but couldn’t get a steady aim on their adversaries with Peter clutched in his arms. He continued to talk to him, promising to keep him safe and get him home to his aunt. (Y/N) couldn’t see his face through the mask of his Iron Man suit, but she knew there were panicked tears in Tony’s eyes. She could hear them in his faltering voice as he issued promise after desperate promise to the boy who was every bit a son to him.

Before she was even aware that she had moved, asphalt was cracking under her feet with every stride as she raced to where Tony was landing, her own fight having been taken over by Cap. Tony had ingrained in her (in all of them) that, in times like these, you don’t think -- you just do. But even if she did have time to think before her body took over, there wouldn’t have been a second thought about doing whatever she could to protect them.

She was still fifty feet from time when she noticed it: an alien -- three times the size of the ones they’d been fighting -- aiming a massive, growing, orange ball of energy directly at the two vulnerable heroes.

Forcing a heavy dose of her powers into her feet, she sped up and leapt into the air, landing hard between them jest as the alien released the energy. She threw her hands up in front of her, her powers manifesting into a green shield. As soon as the energy hit the shield, she knew she was in trouble. Tony stared at her in increased fear, worry, and disbelief.

“Run!” she yelled to him, though she dared not look back for fear of losing concentration.

Tony hesitated, his mind going in a hundred different directions, trying desperately to figure out a way to save her and get Peter to safety. She could hear his voice, but whether he was talking to her, FRIDAY, or someone on the team, she had no idea.

“Just go!” she yelled in a strained voice.

The heat of the energy burned her skin. It was powerful and angry. Her interference had pissed off the alien and it was now focused on her, determined to kill her for getting in the way.

It was taking everything she had to keep up her shield. This was the furthest she’d ever pushed her powers -- and her body was beginning to give out. She screamed as large fissures began ripping through her skin, dark green blood poured from the wounds while wisps of lighter green power escaped them to join the ranks of the shield. But she didn’t care. Nothing that would happen to her mattered -- so long as Tony and Peter had enough time to get away.

A relieved, complacent smile whispered across her lips at the sound of Tony’s suit firing up and flying away.

_This is it, then._

With one last burst of power, she used everything she had left to force the shield and the energy deflecting off of it back toward the alien -- letting out an otherworldly scream, her body feeling like it was splitting apart. She tasted blood and felt more coming from her ears and nose.

The last thing she saw was a massive explosion before she collapsed and her world plunged into darkness.

~ ~ ~

Just as Tony handed the kid to Cap, they heard a scream that turned their blood cold immediately followed by a blast like a large bomb had gone off, sending them sprawling over the asphalt. Cap barely managed to tuck in time to protect Peter as he hit the ground with him in his arms. Tony tried to get up several times, but Cap held him down.

“You won’t do her any good by getting knocked out, too,” Steve shouted over the falling rubble and aftershocks. He was trying to keep Tony’s head on straight, but failed to hide the distress in his own voice.

They stayed hunkered down until the rubble stopped falling; only then did Steve release his grip from Tony’s arm and let him up.

Tony stood up faster than he should have, causing the world to spin slightly like a slow tilt-a-whorl, but he didn’t really notice, nor did he care. He squinted through the settling ash for any sign of (y/n). 

Nothing.

(Y/N)!” he called, straining to hear an answer -- a yell, crying, groaning, _fucking anything_ \-- over the ringing in his ears and the pounding of his heart. 

Nothing.

“FRIDAY, scan for --” 

But, before he could finish giving the command, orange magic appeared in the air -- not far from where he’d last seen her -- forming a circular portal. An extremely pale Dr. Stephen Strange stepped through.

Bits of rubble effortlessly floated up and away from the spot he was fixated on. He knelt down and picked up (y/n)’s limp form.

Tony’s breath caught in his throat. She was covered in dark green blood and dirt, but he could still see the myriad of deep gashes splintering her skin. He tried to see any sign of hope in Strange’s face as the doctor caught his eye.

Nothing.

His heart sank.

“Take Parker back to headquarters and care for him there. He’ll be fine,” Strange ordered. He clutched (y/n) a bit tighter. “I’ll take care of her.” Without another word, he stepped back through the portal which instantly dissolved away.

Somewhere behind him, Cap ordered the ship to pick them up. The sound brought him back to where he was, reminded him that he had something to cling onto. If anyone was going to be able to save (y/n), it was Strange, he was her best shot. But, right now, Peter still needed him.

Tony turned his attention back to the kid, who was starting to come to.

“Mr. Stark?” he croaked, looking around for him and trying to lift his head.

Tony knelt beside him, pressing a hand to his shoulder to keep him from getting up. “Don’t move, kid. We’ll get you back to HQ and get you fixed up. You’ll be good to go to the skate park or the mall or whatever the hell you do after school as soon as possible, ‘kay?” He had tried so hard not to scare him, but he couldn’t keep his voice steady.

Cap laid a comforting hand on Tony’s shoulder as the ship flew down to them.

The humoured smile that had started to grow on Peter’s split lips vanished. “What’s wrong?” he asked, frightened. “Where’s (y/n)?” His words came slowly and took a lot of effort. He was losing consciousness again.

“She’s fine,” he lied. “She’s just wrapping things up. Don’t worry about her, she can--” He had to pause to steady himself. “She can handle herself. Let’s just work on getting you back into fighting shape, okay, sport?”

Peter swallowed hard and tried to reply, “Okay,” but slipped out of consciousness before he could.

Natasha rushed off the ship, holding a lightweight stretcher. She didn’t ask what happened or what was wrong; she didn’t have to. With rescue arriving and the kid out cold, he no longer had to hide the shock, horror, and grief taking over him.


	2. The Coma

The rhythmic beeping of the monitor was the only sound in the room as Strange watched the subtle rise and fall of (y/n)’s breathing. It was like a drone, bombarding his mind while he tried so desperately to focus on the fact that _she was breathing._

Hours upon hours of surgery and healing. She was stitched back together and breathing, but he would never forget the mangled state she’d been in when he’d laid her on that metal table. The bloody image would be burned in his mind for the rest of his life. And God knows how long that would be.

Now, he sat beside her, drenched in her blood and his sweat, holding her hand. Wondering if his immense efforts would be enough.

Would she wake up?

~ ~ ~

“Tony! I told you I would phone the second she woke,” Strange hissed at the demanding Avenger.

“That was a week ago, wizard!” Tony spat back. “I want to see her. I need to see her...with my own eyes. So let me in or I’ll let myself in!”

Strange felt like he should argue, insist that she needs more time before being in the presence of someone from the trauma that landed her in that hospital bed. But there was a glint of something in 

Tony’s eye that told him to let him pass.

~ ~ ~

_You would not know she’s alive if it wasn’t for that fucking beeping,_ Tony thought solemnly as he stood over her near-lifeless form. Tears started to build up in his eyes until they silently rolled down his face.

“It wasn’t your fault, Tony. She chose to protect all of you.”

Tony balled his fists. It took everything in him not to disturb (y/n) by whipping around to verbally assault the wizard.

“Leave me alone,” he hissed.

~ ~ ~

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The monitor kept droning on. A constant melody in the asylum of her mind.

The only constant.

(Y/N) strained for what wasn’t: Stephen’s voice. That sweet, deep voice that spoke to her hidden consciousness for what seemed like hours at a time, promised her everything was going to be okay and begged her to wake up. The voice that told her it worked, that Tony was able to rescue Peter and get him to safety.

He said she defeated all the last of the enemies on her own with her “stupid last ditch effort,” but she couldn’t fathom as much.

Somewhere in the depths of her mind, she longingly thought, _I wish I could feel his hand._

Those were the best moments, when she could feel him holding her hand. It made her feel safe. Like all his promises were true and she would actually wake up. She wanted so badly to wake up….

_It’s so scary in here. So dark and so lonely. I don’t want to be here anymore. I can’t do it. I want to wake up, I want to wake up, I WANT TO WAKE UP!_

The melody picked up tempo. A bright light blinded her. She blinked frantically against it until everything, slowly, came into focus.

“(Y/N)?”

A weak smile spread across her lips as Stephen’s face came into view and he grasped her cold hands.


End file.
